Vulnerable
by Conan15
Summary: A set of short stories about Zutara over the years told through the song "Vulnerable" by: Secondhand Serenade
1. Chapter 1

_Share with me the blankets that you're wrapped in_

_Because it's cold outside, cold outside, it's cold outside_

Taking the early morning watch was one of the few chores that Katara could actually find peaceful, mainly because she was alone and it gave her time to think. The main downfall was the freezing cold and the memories that would come plague her night after night, like nightmares that she could not escape with a simple pinch. Sitting on the cold rocky outcropping with her chocolate tresses blowing in the wind, her thoughts began to stray towards her mother and with nothing to distract her from them; away they went like galloping dark shadows transporting her back to that fateful day…

_She saw the black snow come fluttering down and remembered being perplexed for any smart water tribe girl knew that snow came in white and yellow and you were not supposed to eat the yellow as her father, Hakoda, liked to joke to make her mother laugh. It wasn't until the warriors were running towards the dark metal warships that she felt a touch of fear, ignoring Sokka's calls she started to run as fast as her stubby little legs would carry her towards her mother who had just left them outside playing only a few moments ago to clean up the house while her kids were distracted. Dashing inside she saw her mother and a Fire Nation Captain standing tall beside her looking down on "the savage" with contempt. She could hear her mother's voice saying the same things she always did but instead of truly listening this time, the teenager attempted to commit to her permanent memory drive all the details of the face that she never wanted to forget, from the cerulean blue eyes, a shade lighter than her sapphire orbs, the same caramel skin and the way that her hair fell out of its ponytail and hung there as sweaty chocolate streaks standing out dark on her tan skin..._

Before she could run out of the tent as she had done on that day, she was awoken from her drifting living nightmare of a memory by the sound of a change in breathing and a scratching as one of the group awoke from their own nightmares and torturous sleep demons. Shaking her head the girl forced herself to clear her mind and focus on the task at hand, which at the moment was controlling the shivers from the cold that her Fire Nation cloak just couldn't seem to keep out and stopping the sniffles; she didn't want anyone else to hear her crying.

Unbeknownst to her, the person who had, indeed, awoken from a nightmare was Zuko and he had no intention of going back to sleep after the dream of chasing after his own mother and her being constantly pulled away by his demented father, Ozai, any time he got close. Now was definitely not the time to think of this, he needed sleep but he knew after that there was no way that he was getting any that wasn't plagued by those images. Standing up and popping his stiff back he moved about waking up his half-asleep muscles with a few stretches before walking over to where he knew the morning watch girl was sitting. Getting a few steps closer he heard the sniffles and sharp intakes of breath combined with the chattering of teeth and stamping of feet to ward off the cold. He was momentarily distracted as he processed the reason for these noises and he made the mistake of stepping on a small twig and the sharp noise echoed around the sleeping campsite.

"Who's there?" Katara asked trying to keep the tears out of her voice, and almost succeeding, except the small squeak at the end that gave her away. Whirling around the girl's sapphire blues met the glowing golden orbs of the firebender, and she sighed thankful that it was just one of their group and not someone she had to battle to protect the others. His single black eyebrow rose after he made note of the tear streaks glistening on her face and the goose bumps coating her skin.

"Are you okay, Katara?" The teen asked concern filling his familiar gruff voice that she knew, now, hid a compassionate heart and a caring soul. She tried to nod but at a pointed look of disbelief from the boy, her resolve crumbled and she shook her head looking down in embarrassment. Taking the last few steps between them the boy knelt down and pulled her into a hug as he whispered her name in a caring tone, "Katara." Just him saying her name made her feel so much safer and not forcing her to divulge what was bothering her made her feel even better despite the situation. Letting go with one arm he sat down behind her and took the cloak wrapping it around the two of them and putting his legs on either side of her.

"Zuko?" Katara asked feeling slightly confused and a little embarrassed as the boy sat behind her and wrapped his arms around her tight under the red cloth cloak. The boy blushed slightly but finished getting comfortable before responding.

"I can't sleep either and I figured since you had to be up and were cold I could at least be helpful and share with you the blankets that you're wrapped it and keep you warm because it's cold outside. Well I mean cold outside for you of course." He amended not wanting to admit that despite his fiery chi he could still feel the cold tendrils that the nightmare had left on the edge of his thoughts. Leaning back closer to his warmth she sighed in content as she started to feel warm and safe again.

"It is cold outside" She stated aloud as if to justify that as being the reason she felt so much better in his embrace, or the fact that it made her feel warm and safe inside. Zuko smiled into her hair and she could feel him nod, he too wasn't quite ready to admit how much he needed her presence to tie him down to reality either and they both knew then that despite how strong they both were, they both needed help some days.


	2. Chapter 2

_Share with me the secrets that you kept in_

_Because it's cold inside, cold inside, it's cold inside_

The green light of the catacombs distorted his view and made him see things in a different light, both literally and figuratively. He had never seen the waterbender that traveled with the Avatar as anything more than an opponent, with the exception of that day with the pirates, but he suddenly realized that they both had something in common: physically absent fathers and missing in action mothers. Never before had he wanted to get to know anyone better in his life, and he could feel the same thoughts rolling off of her form as she glanced back with questions and curiosity burning in her sapphire blue eyes, he could feel the same thoughts crossing his own mind and leaving him wishing for the courage to ask her about it. Finally the water bender, who proved to be the more courageous of the two, turned completely around catching him in mid-glance and asked him the fateful question.

"What happened to your mother?" His face grew slightly paler and his dark hair fell into his eyes as he turned around to completely face her and began to tell his story.

"My mother, the Fire Lady, was one of, if not the, kindest women in the whole Fire Nation" _The sort of woman who would love the son his own father could not and who caringly fed the young turtleducks every day out of the palm of her hand_. "She gave so much to be the best parent she could to my sister and I, Azula rejected that love while I embraced it whole heartedly."_Images of her encouraging him and teaching him patience while Azula and Ozai did nothing but ridicule his bending abilities drifted through my thoughts. _"Then one day, she awoke me to give me some parting advice and then left, I haven't seen her since." _Her intense golden eyes brimmed with fear and tears as her pale hands gripped his shoulders and she repeated words that had engraved themselves in his heart, 'Remember this, Zuko. No matter how things may seem to change, never forget who you are.'_ "Father never searched, Azula never even thought twice about it. I was the only one who even noticed her absence for years until Uncle Iroh returned but by then it was too late to do anything. She was dead and gone to the world then, dead and gone to everyone it seemed but me." He paused wondering whether to share the rest of his traumatic past with the girl that he only knew from face to face conversation after capturing her and taunting her with her dead mother's necklace. Reaching for his scar he contemplatively rubbed circles under the worst bit and thought, he had offered to save this girl from the pirates though, would she remember the good in that statement or just the deception he used to get her to let down her guard? Even if in all reality it had been anything but just a scheme, he truly wanted to protect her.

"It's okay; you can share with me the secrets that you're kept in. From what I can tell, despite your family's fiery roots it seems mighty cold inside that home." Her voice washed over him like cooling water and she blushed slightly at her outburst. The banished prince nodded closing his golden eyes momentarily before they flew open again as the memory of that day returned.

"In the same way that my father and sister didn't care about my mother's disappearance, my father did not care about fighting an untrained kid and scarring him for life. My sister watched as he struck my face and I begged for mercy, instead of coming to my aid she laughed; she took pleasure in my pain and so did he. You're right; it was very cold inside that home." He reached up and tried to cover that scar with his hand as though embarrassed until the waterbender's tan hand snaked out and beat him to the punch, by laying her own hand on his scar. When had she gotten so close?

"That scar is nothing to be ashamed of." The Southern water tribeswoman reassured him, "You are better than that, you are not your cold and uncaring family. If anything you are a caring person who stood up for what you believed in and no matter what others say it marks you as such." The teen nodded and smiled slightly before reaching up and laying his own warm, worn, ivory colored hand over her cool, smooth, caramel one.

"Thank you…this is going to sound absolutely terrible after all this time but I never did catch your name…" Zuko trailed off as he blushed slightly when he realized that he really didn't know this amazing person's name. The girl shrugged as if it was obvious that he didn't, after all they never had had a formal introduction, and stuck at her hand in a gesture of peace.

"Hi, the name's Katara, master waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe." The teenage girl said with a grin. His pale hand reached out and gripped hers tightly in return.

"Zuko, the banished fire prince and master firebender in training who is starting to realize that he isn't who his family was or is and he never could be." He smiled back at her, "Nice to finally meet you Master Katara." Katara chuckled and refused the title.

"I was born Katara, the Master title isn't necessary." Reaching back up to his scar while simultaneously pulling out the spirit water that hung omnipresent around her neck, "Now about that scar of yours maybe you can be free of it. I have healing abilities."


	3. Chapter 3

_And your slowly shaking finger tips_

_Show that your scared like me, so_

_Let's pretend we're alone_

Katara sat next to Zuko as they flew towards his inevitable battle with his sister, Azula. Their transportation, Appa the flying bison, moved steadily beneath them as they both sat on his head despite their usual travel plans of one driving and the other resting. Zuko's hands rested on the reins and Katara leaned back against Appa's warm fur beside him staring up at the sky with her brows furrowed as she thought only of the coming battle. The two sat in companionable silence for the first part of the journey, until the waterbender felt the slight tremors travelling through the firebender's body beside her. As a firebender, the teen didn't shiver normally due to the internal fire of his chi, but right then the girl could feel him shake and not from cold. Sitting up, the boy glanced over at the girl unaware of his own slowly shaking finger tips, as he held Appa steady to prevent the other teen from falling off. Scooting closer to the prince, she grabbed his hand which startled him even more until he felt the tremors traveling through her hand as well and knew that she was scared like him too. Her caramel hand felt small and in his pale worn grip as she squeezed it reassuringly just to let him that that she knew he was scared, and so was she, but she believed in him above all else. That faith helped Zuko, garner enough courage to fly the rest of the way towards the palace but not enough to let go of her hand to do so, without her hand, he knew, he would have turned around long ago in fear but he didn't and it was all thanks to her.

Once they finally did arrive at the Fire Nation Palace, Katara never let go of Zuko's hand and she tied him down to reality, the reality that he was going to be facing his sister. The other girl cackled psychotically at the end of the courtyard as Katara cringed but refused this fear to transfer through her physical connection to Zuko. Her tight grip steadied him and pumped a new fire into his heart, strengthening his resolve and filling him with more courage than he had ever had. For a moment, he pretended it was only Katara and himself standing there and despite the storm and tension brewing around him, the idea of this calmed him. A life with Katara? When had he ever imagined that before? Not to his knowledge but suddenly it gave him something t live and fight for as he reluctantly let go of the waterbender's caramel hand and took his fighting stance. Yes he was scared of losing, he had been scared of losing this battle for years, ever since seeing his prodigy of a sister practice firebending when they were younger. However he was more scared of losing Katara than he was of losing his own life and honor. She meant the world to him so, of course, he would give up his whole world to protect her and feeling the concerned gaze behind him he knew that she would too. She too felt the same realization that the firebender had, and the waterbender closed her eyes saying a quick prayer to Yue to save her friend and bring him back to her.


	4. Chapter 4

_And I know you may be scared_

_And I know we're unprepared_

_But I don't care_

They were just a bunch of kids, Zuko realized suddenly as he watched the twelve year old Avatar attempting to beat Toph in the ball and cup game, and Sokka and Suki sparring away on the other side of camp. From his perch on a rocky outcropping overlooking their latest campsite, the firebender could see everything that down below, in the thick of it all, he could not. Spotting Katara, he watched as the girl tried to mother the other four and they turned away from her good intentions. In the end, the master waterbender stalked off in a huff away from the campsite and out of his view. Returning his attention to the other four kids, he continued to watch in silence as they prepared for a battle they were too young to be fighting and one they might not even make it through at all. Lost in wandering thoughts about the coming battle, the teen tried to distract himself with anything except the topic that was causing his heart to beat faster and his pulse to quicken. Eventually his thoughts turned towards Katara, which did nothing to help his racing heartrate, and how, thanks to her finally having forgiven him, their relationship had changed. If she was the mother of their ragtag group than he was undoubtedly the father. Distracted by this train of thought he didn't even notice the girl's appearance until she stepped up right beside him to watch the group below. Glancing over at her glistening sapphire eyes, he again faced forward and tried to find the words to break the silence.

"You're scared of losing them too, aren't you?" His rough voice asked of its own free will startling both the teens as it killed the quiet and slashed their meandering thoughts in two. Glancing over at the boy with her sapphire eyes wide and drinking in the sight of his golden fiery eyes and the scar that broke the otherwise perfect symmetry of his face.

"Of course I am," Katara finally replied and Zuko turned to face her so that she knew she had his full attention. "I know that we're so unprepared for facing Ozai and the Fire Nation, especially with the comet coming and all, but we have to do this." Her voice grew stronger as she looked across the horizon to where the sun had melded with the fields creating a gorgeous display of colors, lights, and a wild fire only nature could procure. "The world needs us to do this though and I know that I should just stop worrying and accept the inevitable but I don't care, I'm still scared." Halfway through her voice lost its recently regained strength and by the time she finished she was looking down at her navy boots. Concern flashed across Zuko's features as he looked over at her and scooting closed he wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder. Surprised at the warm touch the girl looked up in surprise and surprised them both all the more when she scooted closer to his warmth and familiarity.

"I'm scared stiff too but we have to be strong for their sakes." He gestured at the group now having another mud fight and appearing not perturbed in the least by the absence of the two older kids who served as authoritative figures in the chaos of their lives. In the blissful quiet, too far away to hear the sounds of the actual fighting yet close enough to see, they watched as Sokka beat Suki and now stood over her triumphantly fists raised in the air. It was his first victory in years, not that they were counting or anything. Nodding to herself the waterbender pressed her side right up against his, causing the boy to blush at the girl's closeness, and reached she for his open hand intertwining their fingers together. Glancing down at their hands, the two made note of the dark and light skin pressed together and looking for all the world like the yin yang symbol they'd seen all their lives, the familiarity of it comforted them both and Katara, for the first time in months, felt safe.

"For them." She reaffirmed smiling down at the little motley crew and she unconsciously felt her grin grow a little wider as she felt Zuko squeeze her hand tightly back.


	5. Chapter 5

_Tell me, Tell me_

_What makes you think that you are invincible?_

Watching Zuko flying through the air on his side and absorbing the bolt of lightning in her stead left Katara with a momentarily staccato heartbeat and she was too stunned to move. It wasn't until the selfless teen hit the ground and the blue lightning bolt erupted from his body with a malicious cackle and catapulted towards the Cumulonimbus clouds above him.

"ZUKO!" She screamed her voice cracking slightly as she attempted to run towards the firebender who was currently curled up into the fetal position with his mouth in a tight grimace. Another bolt of lightning answered her cry and interrupted her mad dash towards the boy who saved her in her attempt to go and heal him. A quick glance up at Zuko's deranged sibling flying around on spurts of blue fire, gave her all the fury that she needed to fight her and take her down for attempting to annihilate her brother, her own flesh and blood.

Azula's taunts were lost on the master waterbender as she dashed out of the way and searched for a nearby water source to fight her with. Hiding behind a column, she reassessed her situation and heard more than felt the architecture behind her exploding in a burst of blue light. Diving forward she ducked and rolled behind a new column and found herself situated right in front of a grate that contained enough water to beat any cohort of Fire Nation soldiers, she could only hope it would be enough for the job she had planned.

Waiting impatiently with her heartbeat serving as the best timer she needed as it drummed away in her ears. Azula barreled towards her like a red bull in a China shop and it took all her strength to stand still and wait for the right moment to pull off her trick. When she was the perfect distance away, to the point she could see the whites of her golden eyes (the same golden eyes her brother had), and it was then that she pulled up the water around them and froze it tight. Breathing out her nose in a sigh, she unfroze herself and moved through the frozen ice like it was a dance. Moving towards Azula, she unfroze the chain holding down the grate and tied it around her wrists holding her in place. The whites of the younger teen's eyes followed her with the first glimpses of panic surfacing underneath the dilated pupils caused by insanity. Reassuring herself that the young Fire Princess wasn't escaping any time soon, she unfroze the water around them and then pulled it down back into the unchained grate.

Falling back and scooting away on her backside, she breathed in great gulps of air before she crawled over to the nearest column and pulled herself up. Stumbling towards the downed teen firebender, she was followed only by Azula's sobs and screams before she tuned her out. Upon reaching the boy's side she pulled the water from the omnipresent vessels at her sides and brought the glowing liquid to the star shaped laceration.

"Katara?" His hoarse voice questioned as she felt the water meet the burn and he gasped in relief. She nodded mechanically as her hands and mind focused on repairing the electrically charged and charred body that had just saved her life. Reconnecting the last few sinews of muscle and attempted to repair the inflamed and badly burned skin surrounding the entrance point. Pulling away her hands she heard him sigh in relief as she too exhaled in exhaustion and happiness that he had pulled through.

"Thank you Katara." He murmured as she slipped an arm under his shoulders as she helped him sit up. The familiar warmth of his firebending chi made her feel better after the cold ice she had just recently escaped from.

"I think it's you I should be thanking." The waterbender replied with a smile and tears of happiness threatening to leak out of her wide sapphire eyes. Keeping her arm under his shoulders, she helped him sit the rest of the way up and supported him as he tried to stand. After a few failed attempts he managed to stand up, and like a newborn saber-tooth moose lion cub, wobbled as though his knees and legs had forgotten how to work correctly. Breathing like a working ostrich horse, he leaned heavily on the master waterbender and healer as they limped towards the Fire Palace only pausing momentarily to look sadly upon what Azula had become. The pair stumbled down the hall until they reached the, thankfully, nearby infirmary entrance and the girl helped him to a cot.

Reaching for a roll of cotton bandages she helped him pull off the rest of his charred tunic and wrapped the bandages around his midsection and abdomen. It took everything she had to control her quickening pulse from seeing him shirtless and it made her feel slightly better when she saw him blush slightly as her fingers accidently trailed across his abs as she tied off the bandage. Once she had secured the bandages and was sure that he was going to be good for the time being she plopped down on the cot opposite his and he turned slightly to face her directly despite the twinges of pain it sent running through his worn body.

"Tell me," Golden orbs met her sapphire blues as she paused before starting again, "Tell me, what makes you think you're invincible?" Her familiar curiosity filled her softened voice as the teen looked up at her in a way that surprised them both. His reason for selflessness was suddenly so clear to him as he looked back at her.

"You." He answered simply causing a surprised look to cross the girl's features before she blushed slightly and leaned forward, causing the Fire Prince who leapt in front of lightning bolts to blush and his heart to skip a beat. It was when their lips met that he felt the sparks erupt between them as their eyes fluttered closed and Zuko smiled into the kiss. Now, he was well aware that he wasn't invincible, but for her, he would fight to the end of his finite existence and, from that moment on he knew and would later see, that she would do the same for him.


	6. Chapter 6

_I can see it in your eyes that you're so sure_

_Please don't tell me that I'm the only one that is vulnerable_

_Impossible_

Being captured by the banished Fire Prince was not only demeaning for the young waterbender but the alternative of being left at the mercy of the pirates she had stolen from terrified her even more. Looking up at the golden eyes of the boy who had chased her across the continents she was shocked by the determination that shone in their depths as he whispered the words she could never forget, "I'll save you from the pirates."

He seemed so sure of this even as the crew grew closer to the young teen firebender and threatened to force him to break his promise before he'd even finished making it. Why was he so determined to not let her get hurt? Wouldn't it be easier for both him and the pirates if they got her? That would lure the Avatar into his grasp just as well as having her as his hostage.

Unknown to the teen waterbender, the banished prince was also having these same questions running through his head but he knew somewhere deep down, that he couldn't ever hurt her without feeling guilty as hell about it. Likewise, he knew he couldn't let the pirates hurt her either, it would hurt him physically somehow but for the life of him, he couldn't seem to understand why.

As his thoughts wandered, the waterbender again caught herself looking up at those glowing golden orbs. She knew then that he really was so sure of that promise and got her wondering, _"Am I the only one that is vulnerable?"_ His eyes caught sight of the question reflecting in her sapphire gaze and he wanted so desperately to respond immediately but his focus became momentarily distracted by a movement towards her by one of the braver pirates. As he looked away to growl something at the offending buccaneer, she made note of the slight glimmer of fear that crossed his expression.

After having completed the consummation of the prisoner and capturer relationship by the fire prince having tied the waterbender to a tree, their eyes met again. When the blue met the gold he responded to her question with the answer that she already knew and whispered at the time as he.

"Impossible." They both muttered under their breath before he moved on as if nothing had happened between them, but later on in an alcove-like prison it was what changed everything for them both.


	7. Chapter 7

_I was born to tell you I love you_

_Isn't that a song already_

_I get a B in originality_

Zuko felt at home as he stood there in his Uncle's tea shop, The Jasmine Dragon, and listened as his friends and uncle giving him various degrees of advice. The usual traffic of Ba Sing Sei bustled around them, but inside the closed tea room it felt peaceful and it calmed him after the rigors of the Court and attempting to build up a new city. Not to mention the stress of finding the best way to propose to his long time girlfriend Katara, which was actually the advice he was here to gather.

"How about 'You're my forever girl, Katara'?" Sokka volunteered when he knew that Aang was around to hear causing the young Avatar to blush to the tips of the ears he'd finally grown into a few years before.

"It worked on Toph." The monk countered before turning to Sokka, with the blush having turned from a tomato red to a baby girl pink, and attacking him in retribution. "And what worked on Suki, Mr. Smart Guy?" Now it was time for the warrior to blush a scarlet red.

"She might have sort of proposed to me." He admitted with a squeak causing Aang, Zuko, and Iroh to chuckle at the idea of the Kyoshi warrior getting down on one knee and asking for the great water tribe warrior's hand. "I think she even asked my father for permission to do so!" Sokka continued and chuckled good naturedly along with the other three before his expression shifted from slightly sheepish to protective. "You did ask my father for permission, right jerkbender?" Katara's older brother asked with an interrogative tone in his voice as he resurrected Zuko's old nickname causing the Fire Lord to cringe in response. He had never liked that nickname, even Sifu Hotman was better than that, especially when it came out of Katara's mouth as she flirted with him playfully over dinner or during a council meeting just to get him to blush.

"Of course, that was the first thing I did and your father, Chief Hakoda, says he would welcome me as his son-in-law if Katara would have me. That's the part I'm most worried about really, is what if she says no?" The twenty one year old Fire Lord worried aloud as he imagined proposing to his twenty year old waterbender girlfriend and the only image he was getting was her yelling no in disgust and sending a jet of cold water at him like she had years ago when he'd come to offer his help to the Avatar.

"How about 'I was born to tell you I love you'?" Haru asked as he joined the others at the table. His romantic side always seemed to come out whenever they had these sorts of talks and, as per usual, the rest of the group turned to him with raised eyebrows.

"Isn't that in some love song already?" Iroh pointed out with a slight grin as the other three men chuckled light and Haru shrugged in thinly veiled annoyance. That line had gotten Ty Lee to say yes to him, he reassured himself stroking his mustache, probably was just as well Zuko didn't use it.

The great Dragon of the West then turned to the young Fire Lord, as Haru was reassuring himself there was nothing wrong with his pick up line, and gave him the best advice out of the group. "Just listen to your heart Zuko; you will know what to say when the time is right."

"Hasn't someone already said that too General?" The romantic earthbender pointed out with a sly grin and feeling pretty good about himself as the shooting down of his idea still had stung a bit.

"Then I get a B in originality, however my advice is still up for grabs if you wish to take it, young Zuko." Iroh replied with another grin as the great general walked around the table picking up their empty tea cups. Stopping behind Zuko the wise and white haired uncle smiled down at his nephew before speaking to the group as a whole, "Now who wants some more tea? It's on the house boys!"

**Thanks for all the great reviews! :)**

**I'm glad you all like it**


	8. Chapter 8

_And it's true I can't go on without you_

_Your smile makes me see clearer_

_If you could only see in the mirror what I see_

Sitting next to the tan master waterbender on the roof made the master firebender feel at peace, despite the great height and the darkness surrounding them. It was that peace, and the smaller tanner hand in his, that gave him the strength to pull away and turn to face the young woman in a kneeling position.

"I've been told many ways to introduce this topic but I think the only way that I can is to tell you that it's true that I can't go on without you, so will you, Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe and daughter of Kya and Chief Hakoda, marry me?" Holding the betrothal necklace lightly in his pale, calloused hands he watched with wide open, loving, and slightly scared, golden eyes as the woman smiled at him with her own sapphire eyes sparkling with happiness. Leaning forwards she wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

"Of course I will, Zuko!" Her familiar voice whispered in his ear the happiness clearly bubbling along in her voice. That happiness and her smile made him see clearly that despite all the rumors and mumblings of the Court and his council had been plaguing him with over the past few months was all worth it. Katara was the one that both he and his nation needed so desperately and this was right, they were so wrong. If only they could see that smile, and knew how good she was then they would never question his choice of this girl as his Fire Lady.

His fingers fumbled slightly after she had stopped hugging him and had turned around so that he could tie the necklace around her neck. The silver and gold patterns on the pendant itself felt smooth under her fingers as she traced the patterns she knew that he had made himself.

"I can't live without you either, hotshot." Katara admitted with both hands still on her new necklace as she turned around and faced the beaming Fire Lord. The stone felt cool to the touch and she left one hand there to make sure that this was real and she wasn't just dreaming it all up. Leaning close he caught her still smiling lips in a kiss and he grinned to himself as she returned the kiss and let go of the necklace to pull him closer by wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I love you." Zuko whispered in her ear after they'd pulled apart momentarily to catch a breath. He blushed slightly as he always did whenever he said those three words to her and she smiled back at him.

"I love you too." Her sapphire eyes were still sparkling with happiness and her perfectly shaped mouth smiled back at him contrasting her caramel skin as it glowed bringing light to the darkness in his eyes.

Looking back at her fiancé, it felt ever so good to finally be able to say that, she was distracted by the murmurings of Azula flitting on the edge of her happy thoughts. It was just one single moment repeating over and over in her mind like a broken record stuck on repeat.

"What could you possibly see in that scar face?" His younger sister had sneered with her golden eyes, golden eyes the same color as his, hardened into flecks. Taking him all in she saw acceptance, honor, and adoration shinning down on her from his open golden eyes. His scar, which she had never had a problem with at all, showed her how much he would give for those he loved or a cause he believed in. How lucky she was to be able to wake up next to a man who was so loving and brave for the rest of her life.

She knew that he too had issues with the idea of someone loving him with his scar but if he could only see in the mirror what she saw in his marked face. Reaching up she ran her thumb across the inflamed tissue and he leaned into the woman's soft touch. Never before had he ever been proud of that mark, before her that is. How lucky he was to be able to wake up next to a woman who was so accepting for the rest of his life.


	9. Chapter 9

_And your slow shaking fingertips show_

_That your scared like me so_

_Let's pretend we're alone_

A few months after the end of the war, Katara and Zuko finally had the time and a chance to go on their first legitimate date. Both were pretty nervous even though they had hung out a thousand times before and in various situations ranging from fights, to being captive, to secret meetings after the peace talks to encourage the other and to rant a bit about the adults who refused to change their minds, but never before in a date-like situation. In fact, Katara had never been on a real date, which was enough to make any girl face palpitations, and Zuko had only been on a date with two other girls and neither of those helped out at all. The first had been a blind date that his Uncle had set up between him and an Earth Kingdom girl named Jin as a onetime deal whereas the second had been with Mai and she wasn't the romantic type or the do anything sort which was definitely not anything like Katara's outgoing nature. Needless to say, even though they were both comfortable around each other and their feelings for the other, the pair was still scared to death of going out on their first official date.

It was only thanks to Suki and Sokka that they got to the restaurant on time at all and that they looked presentable. Presentable was actually a sort of understatement in Zuko's opinion, Katara looked fabulous in his eyes wearing a pair of navy pantyhose (apparently they were much more fashionable and much cooler than leggings or tights in the Fire Nation) with a light blue sleeveless top that showed off her caramel midriff between the top and where her same colored skirt began and fell to a bit above her knees. He also loved the way that Suki had styled her chocolate tresses so that they fell in light ringlet curls and made her seem so much older than her braid and hair loops had. Katara was also pretty impressed by his appearance as well, especially because she preferred him sans ceremonial robes as he always looked twice as stressed while wearing those. His old outfit reminded Katara of the way that they had been when assisting the Avatar as he was wearing a pair of maroon trousers tucked into his black boots and a plain unadorned red tunic over that. With his hair down, which Katara preferred to the too stiff style or his old ponytail, he was hiding his scar fairly well which slightly upset her since she had fallen in love with the scar when she fell in love with him and without it he didn't look himself.

"Hey." They both said simultaneously creating an awkward silence during which he admired her outfit and she made note of the fact that she wasn't out on a date with the Fire Lord, but just her best friend which was much better in her opinion. Offering her his ivory hand she clasped it with her own, forming the yin yang symbol that fit their relationship to a "t", and they could then feel the other's similarly shaking fingers. It only took them a moment to recognize this fact and realize that it meant that the other was just as nervous as they were. Pulling her closer to his side and steadying her by wrapping an arm lightly around her waist, he felt her trembling slow and then still as did has as they both calmed down and felt safe in the familiar arms of the other.

"Hey." He repeated with a much steadier voice that sounded much more comfortable and sure than the slight squeak he'd managed prior, "Would you like to go inside?" Katara nodded with a much stronger affirmation than before and he let go of her waist before offering his arm to escort her in and she took it gladly. Walking inside the restaurant the two sat down and looked stiff as boards as the awkwardness between them prevailed despite being normally more at ease with the other by their side. After ordering and Katara squirming while the silence droned on and Zuko tapped his foot on the floor in a beat slightly off the one his fingers were producing on the table. After their food had been cleared, Katara got fed up with the awkwardness and startled them both slightly by speaking up.

"Well this isn't how we act when we're together, Zuko. There's got to be something we can do to stop acting so awkward because I really do like you too much to think that this is good enough." Zuko started at this realization as the waterbender blushed upon realizing what she had just blurted out without entirely thinking it through.

"No," He began and reached over and placed a hand over the one she'd left on the table, "You're absolutely right. I really like you too and I know that this is awkward and weird but we need to figure out a solution." Blushing slightly as he revealed his feelings for the girl, he paused as he was struck by a light bulb moment of sorts, "Well we're most relaxed when we're alone together right?" The slightly less sheepish waterbender nodded thoughtfully as Zuko continued in an attempt to say all that he wanted to say before he lost his nerve, "Right so let's pretend we're alone." His idea made Katara smile slightly as she realized that this really was the issue and an idea of her own came to her.

"Why pretend? We've already eaten, why don't we go spend some time alone, Hotman?" She asked using the nickname that she knew he usually hated but in that moment, from her mouth, it suddenly didn't seem so bad. He smirked and leaned closer so that his long black hair fell onto his forehead in a way that revealed the scar she liked and the glowing golden eyes that always made her heart skip a beat.

"And what do you suppose we do then my master waterbender?" His already deep voice dropped a few octaves as he asked her the question. He knew that the volume of his voice and his eyes were making it difficult for her not to squirm slightly as she was filled with a sudden desire to pull him closer and crash his lips to hers.

"Whatever comes to us in the moment." She whispered with her own voice dropping a few octaves to a husky whisper that filled him with a similar urge and caused the dark hair on the back of his neck to stand straight up. Throwing up an arm to quickly get the waiter's attention he felt slightly like some character in a comedic play as he hollered the words that would get him out of their faster and make sure that his lips were pressed to Katara's sooner.

"Check please!"


	10. Chapter 10

_And I know you may be scared_

_And I know we're unprepared_

_But I don't care_

"I can't do this!" The master firebender exploded with his voice reaching a higher pith than usual as he fell back onto his huge bed with a grunt and his red ceremonial robes billowing everywhere beside him creating a huge mess. Katara sat down beside him and her water tribe robes rustled lightly as she propped herself up on her elbows creating a much more orderly and organized appearance than the stressed out Fire Lord to be at her side.

"I believe in you, and even though I know that you're scared of not doing well enough and feel completely unprepared to lead a nation, I have faith in you. We both know better than to think that you'll be anything less than a great Fire Lord but others may disagree with that and I don't care. You'll be the greatest Fire Lord that this nation has ever seen."Rolling over he met her shinning sapphire eyes with his glowing golden gaze as she turned her head to look straight at him.

"Do you really think so?" Zuko asked curiously and slightly in awe of the amount of faith she had in him. She nodded before rocking forward and using her momentum to stand up and turn back to him to offer a caramel hand.

"Of course I know you can, and I'll be there for you the whole time if you ever need a helping hand or a listening ear." He smiled and took her hand lightly in his as she gently pulled him up and straightened out the ceremonial robes she had just assisted him with putting on only a few minutes before. "Now let's get your hair up into that top knot…" She began but he stopped her by quickly pressing a kiss to her cheek close to her lips.

"Thank you." He whispered against her skin as she blushed leaving him with a slight smile as she ran her hands through his hair pulling it up evenly into the top knot that all Fire Lords had worn the crown in for generations.


	11. Chapter 11

_Tell me, Tell me_

_What makes you think that you are invincible_

The waterbender's lean form shook from the force of the blow from the arrow that had entered her side and left her lying there. That arrow, however, had not been meant for her but for her friend and boyfriend, Zuko, who had ran towards her screaming her name even before she'd hit the ground. Despite the doubt her heart felt at the mere idea of not reassuring him that she was alright, she tuned everything else and began to heal her side with the assurance that the guards would be better prepared to protect the Fire Lord now that there was a threat and they knew from whence it came. Concentrating on removing the arrow she pulled it out with a slight jerk and made little note of the sudden flow of blood that followed. Slowing the flow of blood with her blood bending, she proceeded to knit back together the arteries and capillaries that had been severed before turning to the muscle surrounding them. After having reconnected every fiber and reassured that there had been no real permanent damage, she pulled her hands away in exhaustion and her surroundings flooded back in an a overload of colors, and sounds.

"Katara!" Yelled a hoarse voice filled with panic beside her, a voice attached to a familiar scarred face that made her heart do flips when she wasn't so exhausted.

"Zuko, it's okay. I'm okay." Katara breathed out slowly and his incredulous golden gaze met hers in a way that clearly lacked his belief in her statement. Shaking his head slowly, he picked up the spent teen and carried her bridal style from the balcony and down the halls to his room where he proceeded to call the nurses to the infirmary despite her having pointed out several times that she had already healed herself to the utmost of anyone's abilities and really was fine now. On the walk over from his room to the infirmary she wrapped her caramel hands tightly around his red robes and made the mistake of looking up into his frighteningly hardened golden eyes.

"Zuko?" She whispered her sapphire eyes growing wider than they already were at the terrifying look upon her lover's face. Ignoring her in the same way she had done just a few minutes before, he continued to stare on ahead looking forward at nothing particular until they entered the infirmary and he set her gently upon the bed. His cold mask of anger remained upon his face as the nurses came in and checked on her vitals until the last one left. Suddenly the hardened gaze fell and the shoulders slumped forward as the teen lost his façade and revealed the panic and fear that was tearing him apart inside. This current Zuko frightened her more than the angry one she had been dealing with before. Plopping down on the bed beside her and looked deep into her sapphire eyes.

"Tell me." He began with his voice cracking slightly on his first attempt at communication forcing him to begin again. "Tell me, what makes you think that you are invincible?" Looking up at her with his golden eyes boring into her very soul, she couldn't help but greet his gaze with a small smile.

"I once asked you the very same question when you took a lightning bolt for me and you told me that I made you think you were invincible. Is it impossible to believe that you make me feel like I'm invincible too? I couldn't let you die because I can't imagine living without you here beside me." Suddenly Katara was interrupted by Zuko pulling her close as his body shook slightly against her as the fear rolled off him in waves.

"I just can't imagine leaving without you either, but you leaping in front of me scared me even more than that arrow flying for my chest. I don't want to, no can't lose you either…" He whispered into her chocolate tresses and could feel her head make the nodding motions against his shoulder. Then she pulled back for a moment and refocused her eyes on his rapidly blinking golden orbs.

"I know, I feel the same way. You know I wouldn't leave you; I'd fight to the ends of the world before I'd even think about leaving your side." She promised and he nodded as he understood.

"I would too, fight to the ends of the world to remain with you I mean. Just try not to add a good ten years onto my life next time." The firebender managed the strained joke and the waterbender nodded before placing her hand in his and squeezing it tight.

"You did the same to me so I say we're even now." Katara countered only to be greeted by Zuko's lips suddenly pressed to hers in a kiss full of unrestrained desire that nearly knocked her backwards. Leaning forward until she was knocked backwards up against the wall behind her and he had braced his arms against the wall to hold himself up at the perfect distance to drive her crazy, he then let up and smirked.

"Now we're even." That smirk was suddenly wiped off his face as she pressed her lips to his again and continued the kiss he'd initiated but she was ever so determined to finish.


	12. Chapter 12

_I can see it in your eyes that you're so sure_

_Please don't tell me that I'm the only one who is vulnerable_

_Impossible_

Zuko was definitely freaking out, his bare feet had worn a path on top of the thick carpet floors of his room and his hair was messy from having been run through by nervous fingers. Normally it was the bride who freaked out on the day of her wedding but right now it was him and everything was causing him to be more nervous than he ever had. Mostly though, it wasn't the actual ceremony he was worried about but rather whether or not Katara would reach the altar and see him in a new light and suddenly refuse. He knew that she never would do such a thing but the mere possibility of it frightened him more than he could say.

Despite being the normally stressed party, the master waterbender was actually surprisingly calm as she laid in bed thinking after her bath and while awaiting Suki and Ty Lee to come perfect her make-up and hair. She'd always been a do-it-yourself-if-you-want-it-done-right kind of girl and even now she was having issues letting others do things for her. However she'd also grown up from that bossy teenager into a woman who knew better than to continue in that belief in a world of diplomacy and politics she'd been thrust into as the Fire Lord's fiancé and the former water tribe ambassador. Suddenly the two Kyoshi warriors entered and interrupted her thoughts as they bounced onto the huge guest bed beside her and screamed in unison.

"You're finally getting married!" Sitting there on their knees like the three teenagers they used to be they chatted about the future and Suki managed to assuage her fears of being up at the altar while Suki calmed her down about the issues of walking around with a veil and the common Fire Lady level manners and courtesies the nobles would demand of her.

Meanwhile Sokka stood in Zuko's chambers trying to calm the stressed out Fire Lord before the noonday ceremonies. It was a Fire Nation tradition to have weddings at noonday when the sun was highest and also a Water Tribe tradition to have the wedding take place on the Summer Solstice when the Pole had the most sunlight and everyone was happiest and most comfortable.

"What if she says no or can't stand the thought of marrying her old enemy? I don't know if I can take rejection from this girl, not in the past, not now, or ever." He admitted to his fiancé's brother as he stood there in the ceremonial robes he knew that she disliked due to their formality. Clapping a hand to the firebender's shoulder, the warrior smiled at him and repeated the same words Iroh had told him at his wedding to Suki a few years prior.

"What is meant to be will be and you two are meant to be." The pacing firebender pulse slowed as he internalized the truth in Sokka's statement and took a deep breath. He knew he was still going to be freaking out when he stood up there at the altar but right now, it was suddenly crystal clear that nothing was going to go wrong.

Sitting there as her friends attacked her face with various colors, and pulled her hair out of her scalp, Katara allowed her mind to again wander to thoughts of her mother. She knew that she would be extremely proud of her baby girl and would love Zuko simply because Katara did but just thinking about Kya being happy with her decisions always made Katara happy. After finishing up her make-up and taming and curling Katara's chocolate tresses, the two girls left so that she could pull on the red and blue wedding gown that revealed both her past and her future homes on the same plane of fabric. Putting her hair up in a tiny top knot, the master waterbender stood there and smiled at her reflection; she was ready.

Even with Sokka's encouraging words, Zuko was still standing there beside said water tribe warrior and Avatar Aang at the altar and was trying to do breathing exercises to calm himself down. Apparently even they, the same exercises that had worked for years, could not calm his racing pulse or the quick breaths that bordered on asthmatic wheezing. Suddenly his bride-to-be and her father, Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe, appeared at the end of the aisle and he felt his mouth go temporarily drier than the desert and his heartbeat increase beyond its already panicked run to an all-out sprint. Catching sight of her stubborn sapphire blues shinning and looking so sure or herself, he began to wonder was he the only one who was vulnerable in this pairing?

Taking his ivory hands in her firm caramel grip after hugging her dad and he went to go take his seat beside his good friend Bato and Bato's wife. Sighting the panicked look in his eyes the question floating there dying for an answer, she traced the answer in a single word on the outside of his hand. "Impossible" written by his wife-to-be was apparently all it took to calm him down and reassure him in the end as they said the words that would bind them together for life. This amazing girl was now his wife, what reason had he ever had to have been scared of something as great as that?


	13. Chapter 13

_Slow down girl—you're not going anywhere_

_Just wait around and see_

Looking across the snow-scape of her homeland as she smiled whilst shivering slightly from the gusts of freezing air. The realization that she had missed this place so much hadn't hit her so hard until now as she stood there just absorbing it all in the peace that only a fresh fall of snow could bring. Just as she was beginning to enjoy the landscape, the image of peace was shattered by the sound of Sokka and Aang approaching effectively breaking her concentration on the beauty of her childhood home.

"Katara!" both adult men yelled happily as the tackled her to the ground and she ended with her nose pressed into the snow and her older brother and friend on top of her as she grunted at the extra weight. Suddenly realizing that they were sitting on the slight waterbender both men jumped up and were met by a Katara worthy glare.

"Seriously? I just got here!" She exclaimed as she placed two hands on her hips and incased both their feet in ice with just a kick of her own furry boot covered foot. A rough chuckle responded to her reaction and the earlier tackled and she turned around to see her travelling companion Zuko laughing at the commotion. Spotting the firebender the Aang melted the ice incasing their feet with a quick motion of his hand before the pair rushed towards him and tackled him as well pushing the great Fire Lord to the ground with their combined momentum. Now it was the Water Tribe ambassador's turn to chuckle at her brother and old friend's antics as they stood up, dusted off, helped Zuko up, and the group caught up as they walked from the port to the newly rebuilt city. In the end too much of Sokka's arms talks and Aang's spontaneous comments about penguins and peace led to Zuko grabbing her hand and squeezing it to pull her away from the two arguing men up front.

"You look so at home here amongst the ice and snow little waterbender." He whispered his observation in her ear and she smiled and nodded happy that he notice that tiny little detail. "Now I feel terrible about taking you away from it." Admitted the firebender to her surprise causing her to stop and open her mouth to argue with him.

"I do miss it but I also know that it is the home of my childhood and my past and the home of my present is in the Fire Nation beside my Fire Lord fiancé. Like right now my main task is appointing a new Southern Water Tribe ambassador as I am soon to become the Fire Lady of another nation along with assisting you in the creation of this new Republic City you and Aang keep talking about."

"Slow down girl, I'm not going to make you go anywhere you don't want me to mostly because I know I can't, you wouldn't let me. Just wait around and see how you feel about it tomorrow. I won't ever make you do something you don't want to do, unless it's to protect you." She nodded understandingly with her eyes closed as she quickly realized that she felt the same but didn't need the extra time. Opening them up to reveal the stubborn glint in the sapphire eyes he'd fallen for all those years ago.

"But I don't need to wait until tomorrow; I do want to move over to the Fire nation to live with you. I have too much fire in my heart to belong anywhere but in the Fire Nation now." She admitted with a quiet laugh, "Not to mention, I've fallen way too hard for the Fire Lord to ever go back."

"Good thing he's fallen for this master waterbender just as hard." He grinned back and pulled her close kissing her lips quickly as to not freak out Sokka by his baby sister being kissed by his best friend. Apparently public displays of affection still freaked out Sokka and Aang both as they were married and Sokka even had a young daughter, Yue.


	14. Chapter 14

_Maybe I am much more you never know what lies ahead_

_I promise I can be anyone, I can be anything_

Katara was still mad at him, despite everyone else having forgiven him and he really couldn't blame her. Yet this was all he wanted, he needed that forgiveness from her to move on, truly move on, and it was killing him trying to work for it because he wanted it so bad. He glanced over at her across the fire and was startled to see her sapphire eyes looking back at him wide eyed and startled like a deer caught in the headlights before she regained her composure and regained the glare she normally reserved for him. The look she'd had on before she'd been startled and long before the glare was perplexing him. It was definitely not the look of annoyance and disgust that she normally had reserved for him, was she not as angry at him anymore? He continued through the rest of the night in a slight daze until he was preparing for bed and realized he had left the two small paintings of his mother outside when he had lit incense in her memory earlier that day. Tiptoeing out barefooted down the halls of the Air Temple he slipped nearly silently down the halls and reached the door with a sigh of relief at having not woken up Toph with the vibrations he was sure his feet had still made. Holding a small flame for light in one hand he opened up the door with the other and he stepped onto the cold stones and walked towards where he'd left his painting. To his surprise someone was already there gazing down intently on the face of the lost Fire Lady.

"K-k-kat-ara?" He stuttered out surprised by the slightly waterbender sitting there so quietly with his mother's painting in her caramel hands. She turned around and startled at the sound of his voice and replied with just his name.

"Zuko!" Her whispered exclamation had him stepping back awaiting the rebuke he was sure would follow. Instead she noiselessly handed him the painting to his surprise and both tried to ignore the obvious spark that leapt across the touching caramel and ivory fingertips.

"Thank you this painting means a lot to me." Admitted the firebender as he held them tightly in his hands and looked down at the already memorized features of the face of his missing mom.

"That's a painting of your mother isn't it?" Her smooth asked startling them both. The scarred teenager nodded wondering where this line of discussion was going. "I never realized you still carried her with you wherever you went, you didn't seem the type to reminisce much." The girl covered for her comment in a rush and prayed to Yue and La that he wouldn't see her blush.

"Maybe I am much more than you thought." The hoarse baritone of his voice asked as its owner took a chance only to watch the girl he'd thought was warming up to him turn away as her old anger returned.

"No I'd thought you might have been more but you proved me wrong. You'll never deceive me like that again." The whispered words were spat out of the waterbender's mouth sharply contrasting the earlier soft question about his mom. Turning around Katara stomped off leaving Zuko watching the chocolate tresses and the back of her blue robes moving further away into the darkness.

"You never know what lies ahead, maybe I can chance. I'm sorry for what I did in the past. I'm sorry for hurting you and betraying you like I did, but I promise that in the future I can be anyone, I can be anything, and what I plan to be is a better person, Katara." His head had fallen forward slightly to hide his slightly watery golden eyes and at the last word he looked back up and saw that she really was gone and had missed every word he'd just said. She'd left him all alone out there with his mother's painting grasped tighter than was necessary in his pale hands and unheard words echoing around him. "I will be a better person, just for you Katara even if you never know my reason for changing and never can forgive me." The firebender vowed to the darkness around him and the stars above before he turned around and walked back inside, unaware of the fact that the waterbender was still out there with him hiding behind a pole and hearing everything. When she finally did return inside, having made sure that the way was all clear, and went to bed she lay there mulling over those words and hoped to Yue and La that they were true but for some reason she still wasn't able to forgive him and she couldn't understand why.


	15. Chapter 15

_Just because you were hurt doesn't mean you shouldn't bleed_

_I can be anyone, anything, I promise I can be what you need _

"Why'd he do this to me daddy?" The nine year old girl asked with her golden eyes brimming with tears as she sat in her father's office and sighed deeply. "I didn't do anything wrong!" Holding her aching wrist lightly in her caramel hand, she frowned deeply as her father sighed before speaking.

"I don't think Lu Ten meant to push you down that hard Kya, it was just an accident." Zuko began before his daughter, with her mother's lovely interrupting habit, proceeded to interrupt him.

"But it wasn't an accident, he pushed me down just 'cause I wanted to play with him and his friends!" Kya exploded the tears running down her face.

"Well that's cause boys start to get a little crazy at your age and they'll straighten up in a few years but for now they're just crazy, crazy, crazy!" The firebender had stepped out from behind his desk and now crouched down in front of his little girl and ruffled her hair earning a giggle. "But I can let you in on a little secret."

"What?" The girl asked looking up at him with wide eyes that reminded him so much of her mother's despite their different color.

"One day they'll be begging you to play with them when they realize how awesome you are but in the meantime I'm sure that cousin Yue won't mind you tagging along and hanging out with her when she's in town and your mom and I never get tired of your company." Grinning, the pain momentarily forgotten, the girl smiled at him and gave him a big hug.

"Thanks daddy!" He smiled and hugged her back.

"You're welcome sweetheart." Catching sight of a rather sheepish boy with his mom's eyes and skin color he pulled away and leaned down to whisper in her ear like he had a very important secret to tell her in the way dads and daughters could do around mothers and brothers. "Someone's here to see you, can you give your poor brother another chance?" Nodding she turned around and he motioned for the nine year old boy to enter and he did so with his head hung low.

"I'm sorry." She embarrassedly wiped away a tear and in the caring big brother way that Lu Ten had he grabbed her hand. "I'm sorry I made you cry and for hurting your hand. Uncle Iroh says that 'Just because you were hurt doesn't mean you shouldn't bleed" and I don't know quite what he meant by that but please don't cry anymore Kya. I can stop hanging out with them, I can be anyone, anything, and I promise I can be what you need." To his surprise the girl gave him a big hug with her unhurt arm and pulled back to make a deal with her twin.

"How about just letting me play with you guys sometimes, pretty please with fire poppers on top?" Lu Ten nodded and Kya grinned as she stuck out a caramel hand. "Shake on it?"

"I promise that you can come play with us sometimes." He shook her hand and the two grinned at each other as their father watched with his own soft smile. "Once mom gets home and fixes your arm, do you want to come play with me?" Kya nodded and turned towards their father.

"Can I just bandage it up until mom gets home to heal it so I can play?"Zuko nodded and watched as the two ran off to the infirmary. Despite the argument and fight between the two, he and Katara had some pretty great kids if he might say so himself and he was sure she would agree when she came back from visiting Aang and Toph's new baby boy Bumi at the Air Temple.


	16. Chapter 16

_Tell me, tell me_

_What makes you think that you are invincible?_

The dark figure of the Blue Spirit vigilante leapt in front of the cornered veiled vigilante and split the arrow flying towards her with a swipe of one of his double broad swords. Steel cut through the arrow as though it was not a shard of sharpened rock attached to a rod of wood and flying at nearly imperceptible speed from the marksman's bow. Glaring at the masked man for interrupting her, the veiled female shot a few shards of ice from the stream below and effectively pinned the marksman to the wall behind him before creating a steam screen behind which she and the other vigilante escaped. Leaping across the rooftops next to each other the man behind the blue mask grinned to himself as he glanced over at the veiled woman with her hat and veil effectively covering her eyes and any potential give away of her identity.

"So you're the Painted Lady?" The male asked with his hoarse voice sounding vaguely familiar to the female behind the veil.

"Do I know you?" The female responded as the two slowed down to a walk to make talking easier and mistakes from high speed and distractions less likely. Her response earned a chuckle from the male who commented on her response and grinned at her from behind the mask.

"You remind me a lot of my girlfriend, always gets straight to the point. You'd like her, she's also a waterbender." The boy continued and she interrupted before he could continue.

"And you sound like my boyfriend and how he loves to complain about that." Suddenly it hit them both as they recognized the voices and comments of other.

"We need to go back to room, and talk about this. Now." Zuko began and Katara nodded.

"I'd prefer here and now but that's good enough for me." Stomping after the boy, the girl pondered why he had done this as the boy pondered the same thing, the main question of which was 'why?' Reaching the palace, the two darted across the lawn and shimmied up to the palace roof to then climb into the Fire Lord's room.

"Your guards are terrible." Katara began but was cut off by Zuko, a habit that he claimed she only possessed.

"I gave them the night off and told them that I would be out of town with you and that we could take care of ourselves." He replied and was met by the narrowed eyes of a ticked off Katara sans mask and still covered in paint.

"Tell me." But before she could finish again, he interrupted her.

"No, you tell me what makes you think that you're so invincible that you can handle all those marksmen on your own?" She met his eyes after he too had pulled off his mask and he'd interrupted her, again.

"Because I am a master waterbender for La's sake and I can take care of myself I'm 19 years old for Yue's sake!" She stood on her tip toes with her hands on her hips and he glared back.

"Yes but by Agni's fire you're also the Southern water tribe ambassador and you have duties now!" He threw his hands in the air in anger as he responded to her remarks with his own relevant points that hit home for Katara

"Like you're one to talk, for La's sake you're the Fire Lord! You have far more duties than I! What makes you feel invincible? Your nation would fail without you!" Her arguments left him feeling as though he'd been shot because he knew deep down that she was right and he was really afraid of just that possibility.

"I just wanted to help my people, they are suffering and legally my hands are tied when it comes to this sort of thing. You of all people should understand." Zuko felt exhausted by this argument and sat down on his bed when he finished with his head in one hand and his mask in the other.

"I do understand because I am doing the same thing, I just want to help them." The waterbender replied as she sat down beside him and was met by his golden eyes looking up at her with slight panic reflected in them.

"I do too but I realized tonight that I'm being stupid risking my life when I realized that I could lose you this way or you could lose me. It's better that we leave that for the police officers in my opinion and I'll do my best to change what I can from my office and with the help of Aang." Zuko explained and was met by Katara's big sapphire eyes and she held his hand in a caring manner.

"You're right, and I'll help you too." She agreed earning a shared smile from the firebender as he pulled her into a hug. They both did help the people in the best way that they could and to the best of their abilities, Aang did too and that is why the three of them worked along with Toph, Haru, Ty Lee, Sokka, and Suki created Republic City.


	17. Chapter 17

_I can see it in your eyes that you're so sure_

_Please don't tell me that I'm the only one that's vulnerable_

_Impossible._

"Uncle, please don't leave me!" The forty year old Fire Lord cried as he watched his ailing Uncle Iroh take feeble breaths of pain after having fought a disease that had left him bedridden for the past year of his life. Katara, his wife and Fire Lady, knelt beside him after having had her brother Sokka lead her four children, Lu Ten, Kya, Koda, and Ursa, out of the room so that she and Zuko could say their goodbyes alone.

"Zuko it is my time, I have lived a full life and now I must go and join Agni in the sky with all the great rulers and leaders of the past." Iroh reminded the grown up boy he'd once told that story too when he and Ozai had had a big fight a few weeks after the disappearance of his mom. The two firebender's golden eyes met and Zuko saw how sure his Uncle's were that it was his time to go on from this life to what came after, why couldn't he be so sure of letting go as the great Dragon of the West?

"I know Uncle, but I don't want you to leave me. If you leave me, I might go back to the way I was before you helped me to become a better person." Fear made his voice crack and Katara looked over at the man beside her in surprise, was he still afraid of that? All these years later? His golden eyes searched his Uncle's matching pair begging that he wasn't the only one who was vulnerable. As the older man sighed and reached out both wrinkly hands grasping Zuko's ivory one in one of his own and the other in Katara's caramel one.

"Zuko, my good man, you are a great person today and that isn't going to change just because I'm gone and you won't be alone either because here is this amazing woman who loves you and believed you that you were such a great man that she left her nation for you. It is my time Zuko, and nothing can change that. But I'll always be here with you because I will live on in your memories, both your memories. Do you understand now my boy?" An unabashed Zuko was openly crying at this point but managed to stop himself before the tears turned into sobs and he took a deep shaky breath. This was his Uncle's way of saying such vulnerability was impossible and he definitely needed to hear it.

"I do Uncle, and thank you for being there for me all these years. It's an honor to be with you now." The old man nodded and smiled as his eyes closed for the last time.

"I have faith in you Zuko and Katara, if you ever need me just look to the stars." Both waterbender and firebender nodded as they sat with him until Iroh breathed his last with a smile on his face and a pot of jasmine tea still warm by his side. Letting go of Iroh's hand first, Katara reached over and took Zuko's other hand in hers squeezing it reassuringly.

"You okay now honey?" Her voice was filled with concern and watery tears that still were dripping down her face, she would definitely miss the old tea obsessed general with the great advice. Letting go of Iroh's hand as well, her husband squeezed her hand back and turned to her revealing his own tear streaked face.

"I'm going to be but he's where he's meant to be with his wife and son and I'm happy for him." Zuko replied with a sad smile on his lips, "I'll always miss him but he's here if I ever need him and I know he's watching from above. So yes, I am okay." Katara nodded and let go of his hand to wrap both arms around him in a tight hug.

"I'll miss him too, and you're right he will always be there if we need him." She took a deep breath and pulled away slightly so she could look him in the eyes, "Ready to go and tell the kids? They'll want to know." Before answering the firebender glanced out the window at the night sky and turned back to look at her with a small smile.

"Let's tell them under the stars so that they can understand and see that he's still going to watch over them even though he's not here anymore." The waterbender nodded and smiled back as he stood up and offered her a hand to help her up. Stooping low the Fire Lord bowed to his Uncle in respect as did Katara before the two walked out of the room holding hands to go and share the news with their children and the rest of their friends and family. Iroh looked on looking like he had before age had gotten to him and smiling happily at his earthly family as they remembered him in the way he would have wished them to. Standing next to his son and wife he waved even though he knew they couldn't see him and he watched his nephew and his nephew's wife smile slightly as they saw his star twinkle brighter in response. No, he'd never leave them that truly would be impossible.


End file.
